Here is a short video that you can use for a drill or training night. Feel free to use however you like. This is from a recent basement fire and what was looked for and what was done. There are some considerations to think about. This is not everything for all basement fires. Just a simple tutorial. Feel free to add your experience and ideas to this video.
Stay safe,
Jason
I’ve done it and you’ve done it. It is going to happen again and it’s going to happen soon. With every line of duty death the Monday morning quarterbacks come out and tell us all what they should have or should not have done. We preach and teach to learn from these tragedies by understanding the circumstances surrounding the incident. But, what are we doing to make sure that this doesn’t happen?
Our job is dangerous. Worcester Fire Department is a highly trained department and according to some reports I have gotten, fight these types of fires every year. There are some additional factors like high winds and possibly illegal renovations that compromised the structural integrity of the building. Neither of these two factors can be anticipated or controlled. We have a job to do and when we are told that someone is in a building, we do what we can to get to them. As I write this I have not heard confirmation that there was or was not a victim found.
I have no doubt that we could dissect and scrutinize what happened and we would have done this or that differently. We will hear how simplistic it should have been and others pounding the table that we don’t enter buildings that are compromised. Guess what? As soon as that building catches fire it is compromised!
What frustrates me more is that in the fire service many are real good at solving problems after the fact and few try to identify and solve them before they are actualized. It’s not just judging the YouTube video or a line of duty death, no, it’s many things. “That guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “That guideline is outdated and inefficient.” “That small time volunteer fire department doesn’t know what they’re doing.” Of course, most of these “kitchen table experts” have no desire to be proactive or to put themselves out there to take the lead on a project to make a positive change.
Sometimes, and I’m not saying this is the case yet, things are not preventable. Sometimes we are going to lose. We hope not, but we are running into burning, compromised buildings to save lives and property. When someone comes to us and is telling us someone is in the building, if we can make a push, we will and we should. This is what we do and why we are here. There is no time to run down a check list to determine if a certain profile is met. We don’t have time to switch our size up decision making. We have to consider the situation presented to us at the time and use our training and experience to do our best to attempt a rescue.
But, if we do want to be Monday morning quarterbacks I suggest a different approach. Take your expertise and knowledge to some less fortunate departments in regards to resources for training and teach. Share your experience and knowledge with these departments and individuals to keep bad decisions being made on the fire ground. I believe that this is the best way to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for others. Whether there were mistakes or not, we can help to prevent those who don’t have resources to perform appropriately on the fire ground.
We recently did a class in a remote part of our state and had two firefighters arrive with some hand-me down gear and SCBA. Neither had worn the gear before and neither had ever had on an SCBA. They stated they had been fighting fire with self purchased boots, gloves and helmets. That’s it. Nothing more. This is still happening. We had to pull these two firefighters aside and walk them through some basics about gear and SCBA operations. We took extra time with them just to teach them basic firefighter skills. They were more than willing to learn and were eager.
The point is this: let’s put our efforts into training and teaching firefighters to operate safely instead of beating up departments, officers and firefighters after the fact. Can we learn from these tragic events? Absolutely! We should learn lessons in a constructive manner from not just tragic events, but from every call we run. There is always something to learn whether things went well or not so well.
Train, be tolerant and make a difference in a positive way. Stay safe and thanks for reading.
Jason
Here is a post from a very good friend and very wise fireman, Lance Peeples. Lance is a firefighter/paramedic with the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County. Check it out and give some feed back.
Review the following video and consider how YOUR fire department operates when answering the following questions:
1. Is VES indicated if PPV is used by your department? What safety precaution should the operator of a PPV fan perform before starting the fan?
2. Notice how the VES firefighter enters head first. Very experienced instructors often recommend grasping the window frame with the head and upper body protected by the wall and then entering with the opposite foot. This permits the firefighter to make an emergency ladder slide if necessary.
What is another advantage of this technique?
3. On your first alarm assignment who is the firefighter assigned the responsibility for VES. Who is the firefighter that will assist him in this technique?
4. If the assisting firefighter ascends the ladder to orient the searching firefighter how can the ladder be butted? Does it always need to be butted? Could a tool be driven into the grounds at the butt of the ladder to prevent it from sliding?
5. Are the tools (hook and halligan) needed for VES mounted near the riding position of the member who is responsible for this function or are they mounted on the other side of the apparatus underneath the water rescue rope and drinking cups?
6. Notice how the roof ladder projects into the window slightly. However, the ladder is already at a very low angle that could result in the butt kicking out. Should the ladder tip be removed from the window to allow for easier emergency exit/victim removal or does the angle of the ladder preclude this? What are possible solutions?
7. Some of the commentators below the video are critical of opening the door upon preparing to leave the room…what say you?
I have to admit that I am a proponent of safety. I believe in wearing seat belts. I believe in wearing all of your protective gear and equipment. I believe in being healthier. I believe in doing a 360 and situational awareness. These are just a few of the safety issues that I believe in.
What I will never understand is a statement that puts us, the firefighters, above the victim that could still be saved. This is not new but something that I just have to get off of my chest.
I recently wrote an article "Techniques for VES". The beginning of the article specifically states that two firefighters are always ideal for operating. With that being said, I understand that there will always be those that disagree with things that I write, and I'm fine with that. What I am not fine with is the recurring theme of "never" do this and "never" do that.
When I instruct I am very careful about not using "never" and "always." We know that in our business those two words can come back to haunt you. Although the article was about VES, I know that that is a hot button topic. What prompted the article was a training I attended and questions about the tactic.
The fact is that we train for ideal conditions and we want to always have a 2 in 2 out situation. But, we know the real world is not always so kind. Statements like, "Safety of your crew and yourself always come first, no matter what the situation" are troublesome to me. Where does this leave the people in the burning building or under the debris?
Text books are great and operating in this manner is great. But, what if you are the one checking the windows in the rear and you see a hand on the glass? Your by yourself and your equipped to make a quick grab from the window. Do you wait for three more people? Or, do you take a calculated risk and perform VES that you have trained for? I for one am going to do what I can to give that person every opportunity to live. This falls in the same category of an officer that told his guys to "never" search without a hose line. Is that really the case? We know that it's not.
Out of the norm tactics are dangerous, but not necessarily reckless. There is not nor should there be a "cookie cutter" way of doing things in a figurative sense. Our job and environments are dynamic. Should we have standards and guidelines based on best practices and methods that have worked for decades? Absolutely! But, we should not be so entrenched in our own ways as not to perform to what situation we are faced with at the time. The only way to be able to do that is to train for those situations and in order to train for them you must believe that those situations can happen.
All fire ground activities are best performed in teams. Is it possible that one firefighter may need to make a save utilizing VES? Yes. Is it dangerous? Yes. So, it lends itself that if is is possible, dangerous, and we could be placed in that situation, that we should train for it.
I just don't see our profession and our tactics in a "black and white" world. I see the need to adapt and overcome. But to do that we must expect these situations and train for them.
Stay safe,
Jason
As with most departments, and mine is no different, trying to get guys in the habit of throwing ground ladders takes a lot of work. We know the benefits of doing this and there is a great article in the most current issue of Urban Firefighter Magazine that gives some great direction on how and when to use these valuable tools.
Typically, those throwing the ladders are the firefighters and officers riding on the trucks and not those that are driving them. There are some exceptions to this rule depending on how your department operates. In the area that I work, the apparatus driver is tasked with water supply and support.
Any time we have multiple stories we want ladders thrown. Any time we have people on the roof, we want ladders thrown. It is an important task and one that must be trained on and made a permanent part of your operations. However, this post is not about the actual act of throwing the ladder, but how we can make this job easier for those that do.
As apparatus drivers when we pull up to the scene of a working fire we are thinking about charging the appropriate line, getting the right gallons per minute to your interior crews and finding a water supply source before the tank water is exhausted. That is a lot to do and you normally do it all on your own. Well, there is one more thing I would like you to add to your list.
Depending on what type of configuration you have on your apparatus, the ladders on today’s engines and trucks are not convenient to get to. We have them on the top of the truck so that they have to be lowered to get to them. They are placed “through the tank” with an access panel on the rear of the apparatus which if you lay line can make them impossible to remove because they are blocked by charged lines coming off of the truck from a rear discharge. There aren’t many traditional stowed ladder configurations on apparatus anymore.
As operators we have to keep this mind. The photo I have posted shows the lowering arm that the ladders are stowed on. This arm is lowered for firefighters to gain access. One of the downfalls to this is that the access to compartment space is limited, but not entirely blocked.
Once we get water to our crew and have established a water supply, take a second to check overhead and on the side for obstructions and lower the ladder arm. If ladders are needed they are ready for deployment and easy to get to. The RIT crew can use them for preventative measures by throwing ladders to create an egress point for firefighters and rescue teams can use them to make quick access to upper floors for search and rescue.
What about the compartments? Before you lower the rack, take out the equipment that is most commonly used that must be deployed fast and have it ready to go. On this particular truck, the PPV fan, the RIT bag and some spare SCBA bottles would be removed prior to lowering the rack.
Get familiar with your ladders and how they are removed. Know what obstacles you might face in placing the ladders in operation based on your apparatus configuration. Be prepared and train on these facts.
As always, follow your local guidelines for operating on the fireground. We must continue to train and do the simple things perfect. Master the basics and don’t forget to use your ground ladders.
This is a little off the beaten path for me and my blogs, but it is something that I have been paying more attention to lately. I have been laid up from a hernia repair and have been reading and doing a little research for other projects and it occurred to me that I utilize the same three books on a regular basis.
No matter what level you are at in the fire service, you should be building a decent sized library of fire/emergency related books. This is one more method to staying sharp and on top of your game. Having quality information to turn to for those forgotten tricks of the trade or to remember a characteristic of a certain type of construction is paramount and makes you a better firefighter.
Here are the three books that I use on a regular basis and why.
1. “Building Construction for the Fire Service,” 3rd Edition, by Francis L. Brannigan.
This book was one I got during the mid 90′s for a college course and I have it highlighted, marked and it is never too far from my grasp. The great thing about this book is that it has never gotten outdated. The information is still relevant and insightful. This is definitely one book that should be on your shelf.
Make sure you look at the “Tactical Considerations” in the chapters that give some ideas on how to apply the lessons to firefighting tactics.
2. ”Collapse of Burning Buildings: A Guide to Fireground Safety,” by Vincent Dunn
This book has a great deal of content that is covered in Brannigan’s book but more directly applied to the collapse of these buildings. Chief Dunn goes into great detail how these buildings collapse and the problems that different types of collapses cause.
The illustrations are great examples for those that need some visual help and you can apply this information immediately as a firefighter and fire officer. This book is a great tool to have company discussions with. Sit down with your crew and pick a chapter or topic and start playing out scenarios in your jurisdiction where these dangers exist.
3. “Safety and Survival on the Fireground,” by Vincent Dunn.
This book is everything firefighting. Just about anything that you want to know about firefighting is in here. The great thing is that the information is short, to the point and easy to apply to situations.
Keeping these books and others within reach is a good way to stay engaged. These resources gives you valuable information at your fingertips when you need it. It is also a good way to pass on information to others and to have meaningful conversation about “fire stuff.”
Stay safe and keep your mind on the task at hand, becoming a better firefighter.
Other places to get books for the fire service:
These are just a few, if you know of others, please let us know.
Here is a pretty good, basic video on VES (vent, enter and search). It has good demonstration points from the beginning of the operation to the complete search of one room. The thing I like about this video is the use of two persons for the VES.
Although this can be done with one person, you must weigh the risk vs. benefit, it is ideal to do this with two people. However your department chooses to perform this function, you must train regularly.
One thing that is not mentioned in the video is the fact that personnel performing VES must be highly trained and experienced. Knowing how to read changing conditions, fire behavior and building construction is a must.
Keep on training and stay safe out there.
Here is a good video from our buddy Dale Pekel. Dale has a series of great training videos. In this video, he shows some basics about size up and reading smoke.
We have to do more of this, and like Dale says, be proactive. Train hard and we’ll see you on the “big one.”
Three days of ball busting training evolutions on acquired structures!
If you missed FDIC, you have to make this training event.
I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Nate and Kevin and they are the real deal.
The training is real and practical. It is stuff you will use in real life, on real calls.
You just can’t afford to miss this. The price is right and the location is in the middle of the country. I just can’t say enough about the classes and teaching style of the Brotherhood Instructors.
Even if you can only make one day, it is worth the travel. But, beware, you will be whooped by the end of the weekend.
Get to the Brotherhood Instructors Facebook page and look at their videos, blogging and pictures for an idea of what they do.
See you soon and train hard with The Brotherhood!
This is an incident that could turn out to be very interesting.
This is going to address the use of back up lines and when they are deployed.
I had an interesting conversation about assignments, as you could tell from the previous post.
This discussion circled around the deployment of the second apparatus on the scene. This is not a metro response where engines do engine work and so on. Rather, this is where the second in unit is assigned upon arrival.
With this picture in mind, what does your second in unit do? Does it backup the first in crew with a hand line? Does it perform ventilation? Just where do you order this second in crew and what are the tactical priorities?
I believe that there is a time and situation for using the second in unit for a back up line, but not automatically just because they are the second unit there.
What do you think and why? You gave some great insight into run procedures, so I know there will be some great conversation on this one.
Stay low and be safe.
Here is a short but good video from our friends at Brotherhood Instructors and Urban Firefighter Magazine on taking the window.
Do yourself and those inside a favor, take the entire window.
Train and stay safe.
Since this has become a “hot” topic, this is an excellent presentation provided by Fire Engineering on their website. The presentation is given by Captain Mike Dugan of the FDNY, Ladder 123. This is a great presentation that is not only for VES, but for some basic operations for truck work.
Please watch it and learn something. There is some great information and presented in a firefighter friendly way.
How many of you do VES?
How many of you and your organizations routinely perform Vent, Enter and Search Operations?
When discussing this tactic in some circles there is great debate. In fact, I have heard outright intolerance for VES.
It boils down to training and experience. Believe it or not, I have had firefighters actually have to ask what the acronym meant. Obviously, they don’t perform it.
It certainly has it’s place and is something that can be incorporated into the Outside Vent position. Especially in jurisdictions that don’t have dedicated Engines and Trucks, this position is even more critical. In these areas, one fire you may be performing engine company operations while the same day at a different fire you may be the truck company based on the order of your arrival.
I am curious what your policies are and what your training is for this position?
How does your department run in terms of companies and assignments?
Share what you do and how you operate so that we can all learn new ideas and methods to keep us safe.
Take care and train hard and smart.
Here is what I need you to do...
Okay, you are the officer with this group on the deck/porch.
There still hasn’t been a confirmation of victims being out. They might be, they might not be.
Another company is pulling up with four including the operator.
Make your assignments and explain your tactics. I understand we can’t see the rear and or the B side. But, this is fun and illustrative.
Let’s have fun with it and get your crews involved.
Stay safe and train for real.
This building looks to be a very large residential home, or more likely a mutli-family dwelling.
It appears that the majority of fire is on the second floor.
It is night time and the chance that it is occupied is good.
This could be a good time to use interior crews to start an aggressive search with a hose line since we really can’t see any fire.
At the same time, we can have some outside vent guys laddering these windows and performing vent, enter, search tactics since the building appears to be large.
Now, this is somewhat controversial in some parts, like mine, but I think it is an effective tactic. The key here is to have adequately trained personnel who have experience and can make good decisions in the risk vs. benefit area.
Additionally, there needs to be coordination with the interior crew. And, hey, if you have enough on scene to send in an attack line and a search crew, good for you. That just isn’t always the case.
Just remember, if you are performing VES, know where you are, have a tool. You may only be able to sweep the room with a tool because of heat. If you do get in a room, your first bit of business is to shut the door to the adjoining spaces. Oh, make sure you have got a radio.
What do you think out there? Any other ideas? Let us know and share your knowledge.
As always, thanks for stopping by train everyday.
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